A variety of portable consumer products, such as digital cameras, digital audio players, and personal digital assistants (PDAs), have been introduced that read and store digital data on hand-held, modular solid-state memory devices. These solid-state memory devices typically contain a two-dimensional array of write-many memory cells. Because this memory design assumes that high-speed read access is an important goal, the basic memory cell is designed to provide a relatively large read current, ensuring a relatively fast read access. To produce these relatively large read currents, relatively large switching devices are needed, and the large devices give rise to relatively large memory cells. Large memory cells cause the memory chip area to be large, which means the memory chip cost will be high (since the cost increases as the area grows). For example, the actual sales price per megabyte in June 2000 for a write-many flash memory card, such as a CompactFlash card, was between $2-4 at the forty megabyte level.
Because these devices are relatively expensive, they are unlikely to be used to permanently store digital media files. Instead, these devices are more likely to be used as vehicles to move digital media files onto less-expensive storage media. For example, a user can copy a digital audio file stored on a CompactFlash card onto a hard drive of a personal computer and later bum the digital audio file onto a compact disc, which is a much less expensive portable storage device. Additionally, because typical solid-state memory devices contain write-many memory cells, copy protection systems are needed that allow a user to copy digital media files onto less expensive media while preventing further copying. Further, because the data stored in a write-many memory device can be altered, it can be difficult to ensure the integrity of copyrighted material stored therein.
There is a need, therefore, for a method for field-programming a solid-state memory device with a digital media file that will overcome the difficulties discussed above.